1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an air bag system for a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there has been known an automobile equipped with an air bag system as a safety device for a passenger in which the passenger is prevented from being injured in case of a collision thereof. For example, Japanese Utility Model Public Disclosure No. 58-23756, laid open to the public in 1983, discloses an air bag system provided with an air bag unit including an air bag and an inflater for generating gas by which the air bag is inflated. The air bag unit is disposed in an opening formed on an instrument panel close to the passenger's seat. In the air bag system, the inflater is actuated to produce the gas to develop the air bag for protecting the head and the breast of the passenger when a collision occurs. Around the opening is provided a cover member which is continuous from a surface of the instrument panel. The cover member is opened as the air bag is inflated.
It has been proposed that the cover member be provided with a weakened portion, extending horizontally so as to be broken and opened like a double door in the vertical direction as the air bag is inflated.
It should be noted that in this structure, a lower portion of the cover member is developed toward a passenger seated on the passenger's seat.
This structure is disadvantageous in that the lower portion of the cover member, when opened, may hit a passenger, such as a child standing in front of the passenger's seat. In order to prevent the opened lower portion of the cover member from hitting the passenger, a shelf portion may be provided to project from the instrument panel toward the passenger, as proposed in the Japanese Utility Model Public Disclosure No. 58-23756.
It should however be noted that the structure as proposed in the Japanese Utility Model Public Disclosure No. 58-23756 is expanded in a passenger compartment to reduce the space thereof.
In addition, free design for the instrument panel is deteriorated.